It is important to have all your ingredients washed, prepped and ready to go before you get ready to cook. The whole thing comes together fast and furiously. Dark, nutty wild rice would make a striking contrast and tasty side for this colorful spring dish.
20-30 fava bean pods, removed from puffy shells
extra virgin olive oil
fine grain sea salt
1 bunch thin asparagus, cut into 1/2-inch segments
1 1/2 cups peas, freshly shelled or frozen
zest of one lemon
splash of cream
pecorino cheese (or other hard, salty cheese)
Cook fava beans for about a minute in a pot of salted water. Drain, run under cold water and shell second layer. To do this pinch each fava to break the skin and gently squeeze to separate the bean from the skin. Set aside.
Drop a big splash of olive oil in a cold skillet, add two big pinches of salt and two tablespoons of water over medium high heat. When the water starts bubbling add the asparagus spears. Cover and cook for 30-45 seconds, longer if the asparagus is thicker. You want it to be barely tender and bright green.
Stir in the peas and cook uncovered for another 20 seconds or so, maybe longer if using frozen peas. Now stir in the lemon zest and the tiniest splash of cream. Top with a sprinkle of grated cheese. Enjoy!
Serves 4.
tags: greens
Bulgar comes in different sizes – look for fine or medium bulgur for this recipe. Larger ,coarse bulgur takes longer to soften up. A staple of the traditional Mediterranean diet for thousands of years, bulgur wheat is becoming increasingly popular in modern healthy diets. Rich in “B” vitamins, iron, phosophorous and manganese, it complements the protein profile of legumes such as pinto beans and the folate in vegetables such as spinach, asparagus, and broccoli.
1 cup fine bulgur
1 bunch of asparagus, cut into 1/2-inch segments
1 cup peas, shelled or frozen
1 garlic clove, crushed to a paste with 2 big pinches of salt
1 lemon, juice only
1/3 cup olive oil
1 bunch chives, finely chopped
1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped*
Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil. You are going to use some of this water over the bulgar (to cook it) and the rest to blanch (quick-boil) the peas and asparagus.
Put the bulgur in a medium bowl, add boiling water to the surface of the grains. Let it stand for about 15 minutes, just until tender. Drain and press out any remaining water. Toss with a couple of pinches of salt. Set aside.
Return the saucepan to the heat, bringing the remainder of the water back up to a boil. Salt the water and cook the asparagus and peas for about 20 seconds, just long enough for them to brighten. Drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Add the bulgur.
For the dressing, whisk the garlic, lemon juice and olive oil together. Season with more salt if needed.
Add 1/2 the chives and walnuts to the bulgur, peas and asparagus. Toss with a big splash of the dressing. Taste and add more dressing as desired, as well as any other flavor adjustments. Garnish with remaining chives, walnuts and chopped egg.
Serves 4-6.
tags: grains
Miso is made from fermented soy beans. It is a good source of iron, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, some B vitamins, and protein. Miso also facilitated the body’s absorption of calcium and mangesium. Touted for centuries as a folk remedy for weak digestion, miso’s reputation as one of nature’s most healing foods is now being confirmed by modern medical science. The consumption of soy foods and isoflavones have been positively linked to improved mental function, protection against osteroarthritis and stabilized blood sugar levels in diabetics.
3 ounces dried soba noodles
2-4 tablespoons miso paste (to taste)
2-3 ounces firm tofu, chopped into 1/3-inch cubes
2 green onions, tops removed thinly sliced
a handful of spinach, stems trimmed
a small handful of cilantro
a pinch of red pepper flakes
Cook soba noodles in salted water, drain, run cold water over the noodles to stop them from cooking, shake off any excess water and set aside.
In a medium sauce pan bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and remove from heat. Pour a bit of the hot water into a small bowl and whisk in the miso paste – so it thins out a bit (this step is to avoid clumping). Stir this back into the pot. Taste, and then add more (the same way) a bit at a time until it is to your liking.
Also, some miso pastes are less-salty than others so you may need to add a bit of salt here. Add the tofu, remove from heat, and let sit for just a minute or so.
Split the noodles between two (or three) bowls, pour the miso broth and tofu over them. Add some spinach, green onions, cilantro, and red pepper flakes to each bowl. Enjoy!
Serves 2-3
tags: miso, soup
